The Only One

chapter twenty one

Lisa's pov

As the days pass, I'd always find myself asking Mia to come over. Mia had moved from Lagos, a city in Nigeria near the coast. She moved the minute she found out she was accepted at Camille with a second thought.

She lives in an old community apartment, where only old married couples and grumpy people you'd bump into on the street who would be trying to buy cigarettes lived.

She never failed to grumble about her rather lousy neighbors as she would put it, talking about the old ladies who can't hear anything you say no matter what and the old men who would just stare in the creepiest way possible without even moving.

The whole, 'crash at my place for sometime' started with the rain. It was pouring and the college bus was down a tyre so everybody had to find their own way home on a Friday evening.We came to the house just as we saw Lydia running down the sidewalk, trying to poorly cover herself from the downpour with her shawl.

Lydia didn't ask questions. We just preheated some ready made noodles and watched the big bang theory for an hour straight. Then ordered a pizza. Watched more shows. Ordered dessert. The cash for all that food innocently snuck from Nate's card because a genius someone (me) memorized those digits a year ago and the thick head still hasn't reset it.

She stayed over till Saturday, until we were dead drunk and Nate had to call a taxi for her to get back to her apartment. Then on Monday after classes I yet again called her over.

This happened the next day too, then the next until it kind of became like a ritual for her to drop by her house. Then out of nowhere on a Friday night, Lydia sighed on how wonderful it would be if Mia lived with us.

Ever since I had introduced them to each other, they have been acting like the best of buddies. Always texting each other, giggling in the corner about non understandable stuff and always in sync with each other.

It was like they were destined to be best friends or something. They even got to the point of standing up for one another when one from the pair weren't around.

Mia would shut Nate down if he even tried complaining about any habit of Lydia's and Lydia would hold an imaginary caption on her forehead saying,'FIGHT ME' whenever Arian would try to pull Mia's leg.

It was frustrating. Maybe even a little bit jealousy initiating. I mean come on! I'm her roommate she has known for awhile now. Suddenly Mia appears and she completely forgets about me. So bottom line, I ended up asking Mia if she wanted to move in with Lydia and me.

She didn't hesitate for a second. She wanted out on the weird place she currently was calling home and when an opportunity came up, she grabbed it by the roots, grip excellently tight. I honestly didn't mind on the fact of someone new moving into my home because I in the end have to pay only one third of the bills.

I still don't have a reliable source for money to be honest. Just when a street fight shows up, I get in, beat a random guy up and get paid for it. End of story.

What disturbed me was the conversation I had with Mia when I offered her my place.

"Are you sure you want me to move in?"

"Yeah, why not? Should there be a problem?"

"No I don't do drugs or anything. It's just that I'm quite different when I'm at home?"

"Well, what kind of different?" She stays quiet with a little nervous look on her face. Let me enlighten you. This is the first time I've ever seen that kind of look on her face. Mia was NEVER nervous or scared. 

"What? Don't tell me you walk around naked or something.." Her face melts into disgust.

"What?! Ew, Gross! Who in the world does that?!"